Results from the Coldest Winter in Florida since the 1940s
 

So I have been trying to grow out a bunch of tissue culture plantlets this winter without much success. In order for how they handled the cold weather as small potted plants:

1:FHIA-17
2:Dwarf Namwah
3:Dwarf Puerto Rican
4:Super Plantain
5:Hua Moa
6:Gran Nain


In the field as tall plants, I would rank them as follows

1: Dwarf Namwah
2: Kandrian
3: Misi Luki
4: Gran Nain



It didn't frost or freeze at my location, so what I see with Gran Nain is severe chilling damage because there were a solid 10 days that I didn't get above 57 in January and then a good solid week where I didn't get above 60 in February.

Re: Results from the Coldest Winter in Florida since the 1940s
 

Well you are lucky. I'd love to be in zone 10. I'm in Tallahassee and its been bad. I lost a red ornamental musa of some sort and a dwarf cavendish. The ice cream and orinoco came through ok. I am going to plant a namoi and a saba soon and see how they do. I'll plant them if our nights ever get normal- the high 50's or 60's. Normal temps we have not seen since November. Woods

Re: Results from the Coldest Winter in Florida since the 1940s
 

don't totally give up hope...some cultivars will come back from the underground corms.

Re: Results from the Coldest Winter in Florida since the 1940s
 

In the 40s we had a few bad years. I think the coolest was 1941. We had frost and some ice. And 32f degrees was normal in the 40s. That was in Coral Gables (Homestead was always colder). The bad weather only lasted for 2 or 3 days. This year we had 7 days of cold weather, but the coldest was 34 in my garden. The breadfruit lost its leaves and some of the small branches. But after two full months and a half cold (40s at night) the main trunk died. Freeze didn't didn't kill my plants, it was the long cold nights.



This group of Ae Ae bananas has 4 stems of fruit (one stem was cut early). The big plants can't make new leaves to help the pups.



These are the pups of last year. Most should be able to produce leaves for a good recovery.

Re: Results from the Coldest Winter in Florida since the 1940s
 

I'm only a few miles up the side of the lake from Nicolas and we had three definite frosts. We came through losing all leaves, but retaining the stems. About the time we got a few leaves back, we had two days of 40 degrees with 40 m.p.h. constant winds - this did more actually and lasting damage than the frosts and we're still trying to come out of that. My plants are all Orinocos. We are near to Indiantown, Florida.
I wish I'd foamed the plants before that wind.
Alot of plants are shooting blossoms - I hope they'll be able to support the bananas, what with the few leaves............ suggestions??? Please???
I've been giving them water, water, water and a dose of fertilizer - they look far better after a couple of warm days........

Re: Results from the Coldest Winter in Florida since the 1940s
 

I had the same problems here in NW FL, the wind broke the few leaves that were left on my red bananas and burned the new leaves that were just coming out as bad as a frost.

Long term, I do not think I lost any varieties of bananas, but I know I lost stems that would have produced blooms this summer--there may be one Orinoco and one Raji Puri that I was able to save enough of to still get a bloom.

I had to put all of the container bananas back inside on Sunday--I think I can get them back out today--should be in upper 60s and low 70s for a week or so.